Women's History Month: Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley (Molly Pitcher)

Mary Ludwig (c. 1753-1832) was born near Trenton, the daughter of German settlers.

As a young woman, she was sent to Carlisle, Pa., to work as a servant. There she met and married a local barber named William Hays.

When the Revolutionary War broke out, Mary, known as "Molly," accompanied her husband when he joined the Pennsylvania Artillery Regiment. As a "camp follower," Molly cooked meals, washed clothes and nursed soldiers. She also helped out her husband's gun crew during battle.

At Monmouth in June 1778, she hauled water for the soldiers from a nearby spring; this practice earned her the nickname "Molly Pitcher." When her husband was wounded, Molly reportedly took over for him and continued shelling the enemy.

After the war, her activities were immortalized as one of the many women who served as a secondary force in the war against Britain.

In 1822, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania awarded Molly an annual pension of $40 for her military service.

Her legacy has lived on: the U.S. Postal Service issued a stamp in her name in 1928, a battleship bore her name during World War II and a rest stop on the New Jersey Turnpike was named in her honor.

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Women's History Month: Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley (Molly Pitcher)

Mary Ludwig (c. 1753-1832) was born near Trenton, the daughter of German settlers.